may 16.2003
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Avant-gay
P
ortland’s gay community has much to
applaud in the recent 2003-2004 season
announcements hy triangle productions!
and Portland Center Stage.
Opening at triangle in September is The
Women hy Clare Btxith Luce. With glamour,
grit and an all-female cast of 17 (!), this catty
comedy calls it like it is. “There’s a name for
you girls,” says one character, “hut it isn’t used
in polite society— outside of a kennel, that is.”
In October, triangle stages Jonathan Harvey’s
Beautiful Thing. Despite adolescent angst, two teen
age boys fall in love right in hill view of their obliv
ious elders in this sensitive coming-of-age comedy.
Just in time for the holidays is Judy’s Scary
Little Christmas by James Webber and David
Church, with Joe Patrick Ward’s music and
lyrics. Judy, of course, is Judy Garland, revived
in a campy holiday T V show to “drag” out
guests like Bing Crosby, Joan Crawford, Ethel
Merman, Liberace and even Richard Nixon.
From the author of The Madness of King
George comes Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads. This
ripe trio of characters broke onto the BBC scene
in 1987 before becoming an off-Broadway smash.
The Portland prcxluction in January features
Helena deCrespo, Karen Tate and Vana O ’Brien.
Sexual contradictions ring Suzanne Bach-
ner’s Circle, an amusing adaptation of La Ronde
scheduled for February. Ten scenes of modem
life explore infidelity, bisexuality, cyber
orgasms, lap dances and (avert your eyes) mari
tal sex. It’s triangle, so expect adult language,
sexual situations and, of course, nudity.
Andreas Alcala, the Drammy Award-winning
director of last season’s Shakespeare’s R&J, returns
in late Felmiary to stage Christopher Marlow’s
classic Edward II. In perhaps the first English
play dealing directly with homosexuality, King
Portland companies
announce
queer-friendly seasons
by
T im othy K rause
Edward alienates many with his openly gay life
only to suffer a potent power struggle. This cos
tume drama promises violence, sexual situations
and, believe it or not, even more nudity. Huzzah!
In April, triangle will wrap up its 14th sea
son with Charles Busch’s satire The Tale of the
Allergist’s Wife. Smart, sharp and witty, this
comedy follows an empty-nest housewife whose
life changes when a childhotxl friend unex
pectedly arrives and shakes things up.
S
imilarly diverse treats will appear in the
spotlight of Portland Center Stage, includ
ing several gay playwrights and queer char
acters. The theater’s gay and lesbian audience
nights will also continue to provide a fun
opportunity to mix and mingle with the audi
ence and cast after the show.
Kicking off the 2003-2004 season is the
world premiere of Another Fine Mess from
Steven Dmkman, who has written for The
Advocate. In this scathing comedy performed at
the smaller Winningstad Theatre, four actors
hang out backstage awaiting their cue. Like last
season’s rewarding prcxJuction of Outrage, this
fresh commentary on life was developed at a
local 2002 playwrights festival.
Back at Newmark Theatre, artistic director
Chris Coleman describes his November offer
land production opens
| in a modern-day dance
o club with Antonio and
a Bassanio as gay lovers.
Suddenly this classic is
avant-gay!
Even more exotic,
however, might be
the February produc
tion of 36 Views by
Naomi Iizuka. With
an unusual Kabuki
influence, this intrigu
ing tale hinges on the
search for the authen
ticity of a magnificent
Japanese pillow book
amid a group of les
Don Horn of triangle productions! announces the upcoming season
bian art dealers.
during a festive affair May 4 at Theater! Theatre!
In March, Cole
ing of Batboy: The Musical as Little Shop of Hor
man directs Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, a script that
rors meets Rent. Ripped from Weekly World
earned gay playwright Tennessee Williams his
News tabloid headlines, creators Key the Farley,
second Pulitzer Prize. This tense and highly
Brian Flemming and Laurence O ’Keefe sing a
charged story of a dysfunctional Southern fami
familiar tune of a kid who struggles for accep
ly with an inheritance at stake features familiar
tance in small-town West Virginia.
powerhouse Maggie the Cat, stereotypically
The winning duet of The SantaLand Diaries by
Southern Big Daddy and frustrated leading
David Sedaris (gay) and A Christmas Memory by
man Brick, who’s just a little conflicted about
Truman Capote (also gay) returns for the holidays
his feelings for a buddy.
in this soon-to-be December tradition. Steven
Back in the more intimate Winningstad in
Wilkinson will return for both roles— as Sedaris
April is Fully Committed by Becky Mode. Mark
recounting his department store elvin adventures
Setlock directs and stars in this clever comedy
and as Capote tenderly venerating family.
with a kaleidoscope of characters, all on the
Come January, PCS reorients Shakespeare’s
phone vying for reservations to the hottest
Merchant of Venice under the direction of Hun
restaurant in New York— and all played by the
garian theater artist Robert Alfoldi. As if the
same actor.
original weren’t controversial enough— with
Shylock, the money-lending Jew, demanding “a
Visit TRIANGLE PRODUCTIONS! at www.tripro.org
pound of flesh” for an unpaid loan— this Port
and P ortland C enter S tage at www.pcs.org.
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